Compassionate Texas Personal Injury Lawyers Serving Families Throughout Denton County
Located just a short drive from downtown Dallas, Denton is an increasingly popular city. Denton offers residents a rare mix of big city life and accessibility to open space. This makes the city especially popular among millennials and young families.
While Denton is a great place to live and raise a family, the city also sees more than its share of accidents. While some of these accidents are minor disruptions, others end in tragedy. If you recently lost a loved one in a preventable accident, a wrongful death claim can help your family recover compensation for your loss. At the Hartley Law Firm, our Denton wrongful death lawyers proudly represent grieving families, helping them overcome the financial burdens that often follow in the wake of a fatal accident.
What Is Wrongful Death?
Wrongful death is a type of personal injury claim. However, because a deceased accident victim cannot file a case, a Denton wrongful death lawsuit is filed by the accident victim’s surviving loved ones. Under Texas law, death is wrongful if it is the result of another party’s “wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, unskillfulness, or default.” Any of the following people can pursue a wrongful death lawsuit:
- Surviving spouse,
- Children, and
- Parents.
Wrongful death lawsuits are based on the theory of negligence. Thus, to successfully bring a Denton wrongful death claim, family members must establish the following elements:
- Duty: Did the other party owe the victim a duty of care?
- Breach: Did the other party violate the duty owed to the accident victim?
- Causation: Was the other party’s actions or omissions the cause of the accident victim’s death?
- Damages: Did the family suffer damages as a result of the accident?
Wrongful death cases are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. In most cases, this means that a family must file a wrongful death case within two years from the death of their loved one. However, the sooner you can reach out to a Denton wrongful death attorneys, the better. As time passes, proving a wrongful death claim can become more difficult. Primarily, this is because the evidence needed to prove your claim is harder to locate. For example, owners of video surveillance footage may destroy the tapes after a certain amount of time. Similarly, witnesses’ memories tend to fade over time. So if you’ve lost a loved one in an accident, do not delay in reaching out to a Denton wrongful death lawyers to discuss your case.
Common Wrongful Death Cases
Wrongful death claims are appropriate after any fatal accident caused by another’s negligence. While there are many types of accidents that can lead to a wrongful death lawsuit, the following are some of the most common:
- Car accidents,
- Construction accidents,
- Dangerous and defective products,
- Dog bites,
- Medical malpractice,
- Motorcycle accidents,
- Slip and falls,
- Truck accidents, and
- Workplace accidents.
At the Hartley Law Firm, our Denton wrongful death attorneys have extensive experience representing families in a broad range of accident claims. With his help, you can effectively pursue meaningful compensation enabling your family to overcome the financial burdens brought about by your loss.
Damages in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Families that successfully bring a wrongful death claim can recover damages related to their loss. Of course, nothing will bring back a loved one who was lost in a tragic accident; however, the money recovered in a wrongful death lawsuit can make moving on after the accident more manageable. While every case is different, some of the common damages awarded in a Denton wrongful death claim include compensation for the following:
- The accident victim’s lost earning capacity;
- Loss of household services;
- Loss of inheritance;
- Loss of companionship, society, comfort, and love; and
- Loss of care, support, and guidance.
At the Hartley Law Firm, we take care to identify the full extent of your damages. That way, you can rest assured that your family recovers everything the law entitles you to.
Contact the Denton Wrongful Death Attorneys at the Hartley Law Firm
If you recently lost a loved one in a tragic accident, the Hartley Law Firm is here to help in any way we can. We offer families compassionate yet aggressive representation, protecting and advancing their interests at every step of the process. We offer all prospective clients a free, no-obligation consultation during which we will answer all your questions. We also explain the recovery process in clear, understandable terms, so you know what to expect.
To learn more about the Hartley Law Firm and to schedule a free consultation, give us a call at 469-289-6063. You can also reach our Denton wrongful death lawyers through the firm’s online form. And because we accept all wrongful death cases on a contingency basis, we won’t bill you for any of our services unless we can recover compensation on your behalf.
